


Solidarity

by KittyKatGeorgie



Category: Captain Underpants Series - Dav Pilkey, The Epic Tales of Captain Underpants (Cartoon)
Genre: Autistic Melvin Sneedly, Bisexual Male Character, Lesbian Character, Trans Male Character
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-16
Updated: 2019-07-16
Packaged: 2020-06-29 08:50:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 832
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19826680
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KittyKatGeorgie/pseuds/KittyKatGeorgie
Summary: Melvin tries yet again to get Erica to like him, but instead he learns something about her.





	Solidarity

**Author's Note:**

> Warning for quick mention of abusive parents

Melvin watched Erica sitting at the end of the dock over the lake. After the adventure the camp had that day, everyone was tired, Melvin included. However, Melvin had always been quite persistent. He had never gotten his chance to show Erica the invention he had made for her (a thought translator), so he began approaching her confidently.

“Give it a rest, Melvin,” Erica said, starting out at the lake. Melvin froze, sheepishly tucking the device into his pocket.

“I wasn’t doing anything,” he lied. “I was just… coming to… appreciate the sunset?”

Erica shook her head, grabbing a small stone from beside her and throwing it into the water. She kicked her feet a bit, and Melvin slowly moved to sit near her, hanging his feet off the side of the dock instead of the front. He glanced around awkwardly, drumming his fingers beside him. He looked at Erica and tried to speak, only for everything he wanted to say to get caught in his throat. He pulled the thought translator out and looked at it in his hand before he stuck it on his forehead.

_ “I really do like you, Erica. I know I’m a little… intense, but I just don’t know how to act around you. You’re so smart. I’ve never met anyone else as smart and beautiful as you. I’m sorry. And I hope you can give me another chance…?” _

Melvin smiled hopefully, tugging the translator off. Erica didn’t move, didn’t turn to look at him. Melvin frowned and sighed, standing up and starting to leave.

“You don’t get it, do you, Melvin?”

“Huh?” Melvin stopped, turning back around. Erica threw another stone and pulled her legs up to wrap her arms around her knees. “Don’t… get what?”

“You tried to make today all about you.  _ Again.  _ Nevermind that I was trying to impress the  _ girl  _ that I actually  _ like.  _ George and Harold were able to figure it out. That’s why they were trying to keep you  _ away  _ all day.” Melvin’s jaw dropped slightly, looking at Erica. He slowly moved to sit beside her, this time facing the same direction. “Typical straight boys, always trying to make it about them without realizing that  _ she’s definitely not interested.  _ Not in you, not in any boy. And yet you just keep pushing!”

Melvin swallowed, looking down at his hands in his lap, which were twisting and tugging at his shirt. The silence hung above them like a cloud, and Melvin squirmed as he tried to think of what to say.

“...I’m sorry,” he finally said. “I-I didn’t realize… I wasn’t  _ trying  _ to… make you feel bad. Or weird. For liking a girl.” He frowned, twisting his bowtie in his fingers. “Some people… some _ one  _ has tried to… make me feel bad. For liking boys. Or... wanting to be one.” He could feel Erica looking at him now, yet he kept his gaze down. “And I would never want to put that on you. On anyone. But my “gaydar” was… never particularly strong in the first place.”

“...you like boys,” Erica replied softly. Melvin looked up to see her watching his face carefully. He took a deep breath and looked away again, nodding.

“Yes. I do.”

“So… why are you so interested in me?”

“I-I like boys and girls. They both… interest me.” Melvin turned red. “I’ve never told anyone. That, or that I’m… well, since my parents. I know it’s normal, and that plenty of people are… like me. But it’s a lot harder to face everyone else’s reactions when they don’t think so.” Melvin frowned and swallowed again. “My dad didn’t like it. He tried to force me to be a g- girl.”

“...my parents don’t know.” Erica leaned back on her hands, looking up at the sunset. A range of colors stretched across the sky. “They would freak. I have to be perfect. To them, being a lesbian isn’t…  _ perfect. _ ”

“That’s preposterous. Erica, you  _ are  _ perfect. You’re cool, and smart, and nice; you’re future president of the world, for science’s sake! Is it really any wonder I like you so much?”

“Thanks, Melvin…” Erica smiled and wrapped an arm around his shoulder, knocking his head against her side. Melvin laughed, smiling. “So, any boys you… have a crush on?”

Melvin blushed and laughed nervously, rubbing the back of his head. “Not in real life, no… What about you? Any girls?”

“At our school? Pssh, no way. The girls at our school are nice, but… none of them are really  _ my type _ , you know? I kind of want a girl with more than two brain cells.”

“Yeah, I get it. Plus it’s so hard to find any gay kids.”

“Dude, are you kidding? I can name like five in our school.”

“What? Who?”

“George and Harold, for one.”

“What! Since when!”

“Dude, they’re  _ so  _ openly gay! George has a binder covered in bi stickers!”

“I thought he just liked the colors…”

“Oh my god. You’re so dense.”

“Am not!”


End file.
